Chapter 115: World Tree Revival Operation (1)
The distant rumble of explosions echoed faintly. Despite the cries of his kin and the reinforcements, the High Elf Warrior remained focused on the World Tree revival ritual.
However, the same could not be said for the High Elf Mage. Though trained in combat magic, battle was not his forte. He was not a frontline warrior deployed to the borders to fend off monsters. Since his true role lay in crafting, he usually stayed behind the lines, crafting artifacts and spell scrolls.
"Focus," High Elf Serena warned. The High Elf Mage, startled by the sound of explosions and screams, squeezed his eyes shut. "High Elf Mage Achiaer. Step back from the ritual and cast Silence to block out the sound."
"My apologies..."
"I understand. It's your first battle, so this is to be expected."
Achiaer stepped away. He should have cast Silence on himself immediately, but instead, he turned his head toward the faint but recurring sounds. From behind the fortress and its inner walls, he couldn't see the battlefield, but the sounds alone told him the situation was worse than expected.
"To ease the screams of our comrades and minimize casualties among our allies, we must complete this ritual swiftly," High Elf Warrior Mair advised.
Taking his advice to heart, Achiaer cast Silence on himself and returned to his position, and the three elves worked in tandem once more. Perhaps because he had steadied his resolve and sealed his hearing, the ritual progressed more smoothly than before.
The intense floral scent that had drifted through the air at the beginning of the ritual helped soothe their minds. As time passed, the scent, which had briefly faded, returned with renewed intensity, and the three High Elves were able to concentrate fully once more.
Standing within the magic circle etched on the ground, they poured their mana into the World Tree and into the land where it would take root. Though lacking the divine affinity of a Priestess or Saintess, the elves offered their blessings with all the power they possessed.
One minute passed, then five, then ten.
We're in sync now, each of them thought.
As the ritual continued, their timing in transferring mana to the World Tree and the land aligned more precisely. Even their softly whispered prayers fell into rhythm.
Eventually, half an hour passed by.
The explosion of light that had erupted at the beginning of the ritual flared again, blinding their eyes. The three High Elves shut their eyes tightly and waited in silence for the brilliant white light to fade.
High Elf Warrior Mair let out an exhausted sigh.
"Ahhh!" Achiaer gasped and collapsed to the ground, overcome with relief.
High Elf Elementalist Serena shed tears of joy. "It has been revived."
The tree stood just over one meter tall.
Thanks to the combined efforts of the three High Elves and the Potion of Growth, the sapling had grown into a small, young World Tree. They stared in stunned silence for only a moment before quickly activating their radios and putting on their earpieces[1].
"The World Tree has been revived!" Serena shouted with joy.
However, instead of cheers, a tense voice came through their earpieces.
—Ah, ah... High Elves, please wait next to the World Tree.
"Huh?"
—The demons made their move as soon as the World Tree was revived.
What? They moved?
Was he saying the demons had taken action, not merely appeared?
"Is this the worst-case scenario we feared?" High Elf Warrior Mair asked Kim Ki-Rok, his voice tense.
—Yes. They hadn't anticipated we would use the Potion of Growth. Though they had arrived on the battlefield with Black Wizards, they had been waiting in the rear. Now, they've taken to the skies.
Mair kicked off the ground and leaped high into the air.
"Sylpher." Summoning his Intermediate Wind Elemental, he halted midair and scanned beyond the fortress wall. "Damn it..."
Two demons, emanating mana from the Demon Realm, stared directly at him. Mair immediately dispelled the summon and dropped back to the ground, reporting what he had seen. "It's just as Hero Kim Ki-Rok said. The demons are on the move."
—I'll dispatch Saintess Renee, Commander Richard, and the strongest among our heroes. Currently, there are two dem—no, three demons at the northern fortress now.
"Another one?"
—Yes. I don't know if they sensed the revival of the World Tree, but one more appeared while we were talking. The first two have already moved, and the latecomer is currently speaking with the Black Wizards, likely assessing the situation.
Dodging both attack spells and elemental magic with blinding speed, the demons stopped just before the inner wall and swung their weapon. With a deafening crash, they rebounded against the white dome-shaped shield protecting the lord's castle. Even for a demon, breaking through a barrier set by Saintess Renee in a single blow was no small feat. Though it cracked slightly, the shield held firm.
Of course, the demons didn't relent just because the barrier withstood their first strike. They cloaked their weapons in a dense, sinister aura, its ominous pressure palpable even from a distance, and struck again.
—Do you think you'll be able to stop them?
Serena steadied herself and responded through the earpiece, "Yes. We will stop them."
—Since the safety of the World Tree is on the line, be straight with me. Can you take on three demons at once?
"If it's Saintess Renee, Commander Richard, and warriors like Lee Yeon-Hwa, Ji Cheol-Hyun, Baek Min-Hyuk, and Jang Baek-San coming to back us up, then we might actually have a shot."
—What's the likelihood of casualties?
Serena was silent for a moment.
—Ms. Serena?
"There's a non-zero chance there will be casualties."
—Understood. Then I'll find a way to keep the late-arriving demon occupied.
"What?"
—If the group you mentioned can handle the first two demons without losses, then that leaves just one, right?
Serena didn't fully grasp what Kim Ki-Rok meant. But soon, she gave him the answer he was looking for.
—Ms. Serena?
"Yes. It's possible."
—I can only hold the demon for thirty minutes. Well... if I'm lucky, I might even take it down myself.
"What?"
—Don't worry about it. I'll hold it back for thirty minutes.
"Then we'll take care of the two demons and join you within that time."
—Yes. I look forward to it. Please be careful. And heroes? Switch to channel two again.
With a loud crash, the protective barrier shattered like glass, and the two demons descended to the ground.
"Huff... huff..." At that moment, their allies arrived at the garden where the World Tree had been revived.
Serena took a short breath and summoned her Elementals. Mair drew his sword, while Achiaer pulled his staff from a subspace pocket, leveling it at the demons.
***
An hour and a half earlier, a massive explosion of light had erupted, followed by an intense floral scent that spread throughout the border city. Everyone knew that the World Tree revival ritual had begun, but the light and scent were not the only signs.
ROAAAR!
The monsters that had been hiding in the Black Forest, waiting for orders from the Black Wizards, launched an all-out attack. Corrupted by the mana of the Demon Realm and instinctively repelled by the World Tree's blessing, they charged as soon as they sensed the ritual had begun.
An arrow sliced through the air and embedded itself in a monster's hide.
Standing on the ramparts, Kim Ki-Rok loosed another arrow, nocked a new one, and scanned the surroundings. "Phew! It's a bit tough, but..."
Despite the Black Wizards' commands, the monsters had ignored them and rushed the walls. Up to this point, everything had unfolded just as it had during the previous Attempt.
"The real problem is what comes next..."
Nine minutes and forty-six seconds into the assault, there was a surge of rampaging monsters.
"They're here."
Kim Ki-Rok sighed deeply, turning toward the source of the black explosion. He saw fifteen Black Wizards, completely cloaked in black robes, and two figures with dark crimson skin.
He immediately pressed the transmit button on his radio. "The Black Wizards have arrived. With them are two unidentified individuals—crimson-skinned and dressed in noble attire—presumed to be demons. If any of the elves or reinforcements from the Holy Kingdom have seen demons before, please confirm whether the description matches and report immediately."
The elf warriors and paladins stationed at the northern gate with Kim Ki-Rok responded with a mix of fear and restrained fury.
"The worst-case scenario," one paladin muttered under his breath.
—That is a demon. Judging by the energy it emits, I suspect it's an Intermediate Demon.
"What I'm about to say might not make much sense to the elves or the paladins here, so feel free to disregard it if needed," Kim Ki-Rok continued. "Based on the intel Miss Ayl provided, Intermediate Demons are estimated to be around Level 120."
"Holy... Fuck..." a nearby Hunter cursed under his breath.
The strongest Hunter among those participating in the Gate clear was Lee Yeon-Hwa, at Level 93. A twenty-seven level difference separated her from the demon, a gap that cast serious doubt on their chances in a direct confrontation.
Despite the futility of it all, Kim Ki-Rok stood tall on the ramparts, calm and composed as he looked toward the demons.
"But as Commander Richard of the Paladin Order noted, they seem slow to act. Rather than joining the battle directly, they've moved to the rear and are simply watching from a distance."
The soldiers kept glancing at the demons while fending off the monsters in front of them. Just as Kim Ki-Rok had said, the two demons were seated on conjured chairs, idly spectating the battle. They wore faint, amused smiles, like players enjoying a game.
Kim Ki-Rok formed a small mana shield and covered his mouth with one hand to continue speaking covertly. "The demons and Black Wizards don't know that we've used the Potion of Growth to speed up the revival ritual. Judging by their complacent smiles, the demons are likely to move... maybe ten minutes before the end of the ritual, going off based on the ritual time they know."
Just as he predicted, the demons remained seated, observing from a distance. They were smiling, waiting for the final moment, and intending to descend only after the ritual's completion to cast despair upon the humans and elves.
"So we'll take advantage of their misunderstanding. We'll act as though we're barely holding on. If anyone gets injured, fall back immediately for treatment and return once recovered."
Safety came first, just as he had emphasized from the beginning.
The allied forces followed Kim Ki-Rok's orders, engaging the monsters climbing the ramparts. Their defense was fierce, but also calculated. Every move was meant to sell the illusion of a desperate resistance and deceive the watching demons.
1. The following conversation is the exact same exchange we saw last chapter between Kim Ki-Rok and the elves, but from their perspective. ☜